When TikTok becomes reality.
When it comes to classic ’90s country songs, there aren’t may better than “Time Marches On” by Tracy Lawrence.
The song was released in 1996 from Tracy’s album of the same name, and would go on to become his longest-running #1 hit of his career. And a couple of years ago, we got to talk to Tracy about why the song was such a success:
“It’s probably the best lyric I’ve ever cut, because being able to paint that much imagery in a three and a half minute song, you’re talking about multiple generations of a family and just the dynamic. I mean, you can close your eyes and you can see that whole thing. I was fascinated by it.”
But he says there’s one line in particular that really made him want to release it in the first place:
“You really want to know why I cut it? Because of the shock factor. Because radio had never played anything that says ‘Smokes a lot of dope’ in it, and I knew that it would either be a massive record just because of the shock factor of it, or it would die a violent death. There was no in between. And it came out of the box with a bang.”
@whiskeyriff “Smokes a lot of dope” 90s Country at its finest 😮💨
Well that line in particular became the focal point of a remix of the song that went viral on TikTok recently, with someone replacing every other line with “smokes a lot of dope” to create a hilarious new version of the 20-year-old classic.
@participationcertificate Replying to @Edwin smoke responsibly #timemarcheson #tracylawrence #country #countrymusic #remix #edit #fyp #fypシ #foryou #funny #music #newsound
The new version of the song went so viral that it caught the attention of Tracy himself, who got a good laugh out of it:
@bigdandbubba We called @tracy_lawrence to see if hed heard the “smokes a lot of dope” remix of Time Marches On… Hes going to come in and sing It now… #90scountry #90scountrymusic #timemarcheson #music #funny #comedy #420 #radio
And apparently it caught the attention of Jamey Johnson too.
The “In Color” singer recently celebrated his 51st birthday with a star-studded night at the Grand Ole Opry, and his friend Tracy Lawrence was on hand for the event. In fact, there was even a “Time Marches On” themed birthday cake at the party:
Well naturally, the two had to perform “Time Marches On” together during the show. But after finishing the song, Jamey decided that they needed to break out the “last verse” of the song: The “smokes a lot of dope” verse from TikTok.
“Sister’s wearing rouge, smokes a lot of dope
Brother’s wearing beads and he smokes a lot of dope
Mama is depressed, smokes a lot of dope
Daddy’s got a girlfriend, smokes a lot of dope
Willie Nelson sings anything he wants
And he smokes a lot of dope
Smokes a lot of dope”
@tracy_lawrence I guess @JameyJohnsonOfficial has been on TikTok 💨
Now, I’m not sure how many in the crowd at the Opry had heard the TikTok version of the song to even know what was going on, but apparently Jamey has spent some time on TikTok and saw the remix.
Jamey Johnson has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2022, and recently joined Tracy on his TL’s Road House podcast where he expressed his hope that Tracy becomes a member soon too:
“I think this current team at the Opry is working hard to correct some of those overlookings. As your brother, I hope you come play the Opry and I hope they make you a member, and I hope you get to walk out there and have Tracy Lawrence night at the Opry.”
Amen. If anybody deserves to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry, it’s Tracy…even if his family apparently smokes a lot of dope.
